Throughout spring training, Sporting News will keep tabs on the top position battles around the major leagues. Today, it's a look at the American League East , including second base for the Orioles.

Ryan Flaherty is “ undoubtedly the leading candidate for the role ,” Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun wrote earlier this month, but far from a sure thing to be the man who takes over at the keystone sack for the Orioles after Brian Roberts went to the Yankees as a free agent.

The problem for Flaherty is that in two years since the Orioles plucked him from the Cubs in the Rule 5 draft, the lefty-swinging infielder has struggled to establish himself as a major league hitter. Flaherty’s 2013 line of .224/.293/.390 in 271 plate appearances was better than his 2012 output of .216/.258/.359 in 167 plate appearances, but still a long way from what you would call good. Flaherty makes up for his hitting deficiencies with a strong glove – enough so that even with his anemic hitting stats, he was a 1 WAR player last year.

Jonathan Schoop went 4-for-14 with a homer and four runs scored in a five-game cameo with the Orioles last year, a taste of the promise that the 22-year-old from Curacao has, although his Triple-A performance suggests some more seasoning would be a good idea. In 289 plate appearances for Norfolk last year, Schoop hit .256/.301/.396 with nine home runs and 55 strikeouts. More development time would probably be a good idea for Schoop, who has a .742 OPS in 463 minor league games. If he’s going to hit on a similar level to Flaherty, the Orioles are better off keeping Schoop in Triple-A both to gain experience and to keep his major league service time down.

The other options for Baltimore at second base are Jemile Weeks, who has a .677 OPS in 957 career major league plate appearances, and Alexi Casilla, who own a .634 OPS in 1,889 career major league plate appearances. Why either one would be preferable to Flaherty is anyone’s guess, and that’s why Flaherty is the leading candidate.

The real question is how much pressure Schoop can put on Flaherty to try to force the Orioles to bring him north. But unless Schoop absolutely blows the doors off the Grapefruit League, Baltimore’s plan should be to start him in Triple-A, get him more at-bats there, and wait for him to really be ready for the majors, rather than forcing things.